AIS Receiver Shopping Guide

What’s needed

What is necessary to build an cheap 2 channel AIS receiver with your Android phone, tablet, TV-Box.

In this post I will show you buying links to components like USB Cable, RTL-SDR Dongle, Antenna.

Estimate total costs from 15€ to 40€ with good hardware components from Aliexpress. Could be the half if you already have some components.

1. Android hardware
2. USB OTG cable
3. RTL-SDR Dongle
4. Antenna
5. Android Software
   

---

1. Android hardware

• Android Phone, Tablet, TV-Box with USB OTG functionality (almost all devices have that).
  App to check OTG function
• Minimum Android version 4.1
• I recommend minimum 1 GB RAM

INFO: Some tablet / phone manufacturer have a very strict battery saving policy which even breaks Android specifications. For example the just kill a App running not in foreground after x minutes. My apps are running as foreground services (status bar notification symbol) . If you encounter such problems have a look at https://dontkillmyapp.com/ which provides several options to avoid killing a app for different manufacturer.
On my Android 11 Samsung Tab S7 i had to put both apps AIS Share and RTL AIS Driver on the exclude battery optimization list. see https://dontkillmyapp.com/samsung#android-11

---

2. USB OTG cable

Note to all links: As an Amazon Associate and Aliexpress Affiliate, I will get a small commission from qualifying purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

Connectors

Depending on your device you need an USB Micro OTG OR USB C OTG cable.
Note: A USB 2.0 rate cable is sufficient enough

2.1 USB-C/Micro OTG

Amazon Deutschland

UGREEN USB C OTG Adapter auf Amazon.de
UGREEN USB MICRO Adapter auf Amazon-de

Aliexpress

Budget Store – Worldwide Shipping (up to 3 weeks)

Please not buy the cheapest cable you can find. I had some problems with very cheap cables where the connection between the dongle and the device was very unstable.

2.2 USB-C/Micro OTG with external power supply

General note about – external power supply.
Normally the external power supply only powers the connected USB device – not the phone / tablet itself.
On some older devices OTG function for the USB device AND charging was possible.
Samsung Galaxy S3/S4/NOTE2/NOTE3, Nexus 7/8/10.
For current models this is normally not possible. Have a look at this blog
Alternatives would be to charge your phone / tablet by inductive charging or some tablet still have a sperat power DC jack

Amazon Deutschland

Ugreen USB-C-Hub auf Amazon.de
USB-Micro Y cable

Aliexpress

Budget Store – Worldwide Shipping (up to 3 weeks)

Please not buy the cheapest cable you can find. I had some problems with very cheap cables where the connection between the dongle and the device was very unstable

---

3. RTL-SDR Dongle

Note to all links: As an Amazon Associate and Aliexpress Affiliate, I will get a small commission from qualifying purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

Search for RTL2832U / 820T / 820T2 or RTL-SDR USB dongle.
I recommend high quality dongles which are more expensive but PPM is fix and stable around 0 or 1 . (0,5 PPM TCXO)
Please note: The antenna (especial the very short ones) delivered with some dongles is more or less only for testing. Don’t expect a good reception

3.1 High quality 0,5 ppm

RTL-SDR.COM

Original RTL-SDR BLOG V3/V4 Dongle

Amazon Deutschland

RTL-SDR Blog V3 Dongle auf Amazon.de
RTL-SDR Blog V4 Dongle auf Amazon.de
RTL-SDR Blog V3 Dongle Bundle ( mit Antenne ) auf Amazon.de
RTL-SDR Blog V4 Dongle Bundle (mit Antenne) auf Amazon.de

Aliexpress

Budget Store – Worldwide Shipping (up to 3 weeks)

3.1 Cheap – PPM variable

Please read this tutorial https://ebctech.eu/find-your-ppm/

Amazon Deutschland

Aliexpress

Budget Store – Worldwide Shipping (up to 3 weeks)

---

4. ANTENNA

AIS signals are transmitted at 161,975 MHz and 162,025 MHz. To receive the signals over a distance you need to have a proper antenna. A popular search keyword is VHF or Marine VHF antenna.
Depending on your dongle you have different connectors. The high quality dongles usually have a SMA female antenna port. The cheap dongles have usually a MCX female port.

4.1 BUNDLE ANTENNA

In some RTL-SDR Bundles kit there is a telescope antenna included. This is okay for start.
Such telescopic aerial antenna have best reception at a extend length of 46 cm (1/4 wave length) or 92 cm ( 1/2 wave length).
In some RTL-SDR Bundles there is just a few cm antenna included. With this antenna you have to be very very closes to ships. You would not be happy with that kind of antenna.

4.2 DIY ANTENNA

see this excellent blog posts for more info
http://www.radioforeveryone.com/p/ais-antennas.html
https://arundaleais.github.io/docs/ais/aerial.html

4.3 COMMERCIAL ANTENNA

Note to all links: As an Amazon Associate and Aliexpress Affiliate, I will get a small commission from qualifying purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

Aliexpress

Budget Store – Worldwide Shipping (up to 3 weeks)

4.3.1 Adapter for Antenna

Your dongle has an SMA female or MCX female antenna port. For connecting a commercial antenna you might need adapter.

Amazon Deutschland

Aliexpress

Budget Store – Worldwide Shipping (up to 3 weeks)

---

5. SOFTWARE

Install the free driver software to test if your hardware setup is working.
see this tutorial https://ebctech.eu/installation-rtl-ais-driver/

After that install the AIS Share software. see this tutorial https://ebctech.eu/installation-ais-share/

---

Questions ?

Have a look at https://ebctech.eu/faq-ais-share-rtl-ais-driver/